Summary This study was undertaken to determine the safety of duct ligation in pancreatic surgery. Duct ligation was performed in 43 patients after pancreaticoduodenectomy and in 108 patients after distal pancreatectomy; 33 patients had a pancreaticojejunostomy after a pancreaticoduodenectomy. All procedures were performed between 1965 and 1975; the analysis was retrospective. The mortality and morbidity for the duct ligation group after pancreaticoduodenectomy were 19 per cent and 77 per cent and after distal pancreatectomy were 4 per cent and 9 per cent respectively. After pancreaticoduodenectomy with pancreaticojejunostomy the mortality was 18 per cent with a morbidity of 33 per cent. It is concluded that distal pancreatectomy with duct ligation is a relatively safe procedure, while after pancreaticoduodenectomy the morbidity is significantly reduced (P < 0·001) by a pancreaticojejunostomy.